Washington, DC -- On Sunday, Oct. 8, during its 2017 annual meeting, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) will present two awards for extraordinary impact on the engineering profession. The Simon Ramo Founders Award will be presented to John E. Hopcroft for his research contributions and leadership in engineering. The Arthur M. Bueche Award will be given to Louis J. Lanzerotti for his contributions to technology research, policy, and national and international cooperation.

John E. Hopcroft is widely regarded as one of the most influential computer scientists in the United States. With the Simon Ramo Founders Award, Hopcroft is being recognized "for fundamental achievements in the formation of computer science as a discipline through his research, service, and pioneering textbooks." The award acknowledges outstanding professional, educational, and personal achievements to the benefit of society and includes a commemorative medal.

Hopcroft, who is the IBM Professor of Engineering and Applied Mathematics in Computer Science at Cornell University, has worked on shaping the intellectual discipline of computer science, specifically on theoretical aspects of the field, and helped make computer science the respected discipline that it is today. In 1989, Hopcroft co-authored "Computer Science: Achievement and Opportunities" as part of his effort to double the number of computer science Ph.D.s produced each year in order to meet the nation's future needs. In 1992, President George H.W. Bush appointed him to the National Science Board, which oversees the National Science Foundation, and he served through May 1998. In 2005, he co-chaired the National Research Council study committee that produced the report "Network Science," which helped the Army understand the engineering behind networking troops in the field and how it would change warfare. The report has been said to have led to significant increases for funding in network science from numerous agencies. Hopcroft's research has also helped shape curriculum at computer science departments as they increased around the world. He has received many awards for his achievements, including the A.M. Turing Award, the ACM Karl V. Karlstrom Outstanding Educator Award, and China's Friendship Medal, its highest recognition for a foreigner. Hopcroft is also a designated Einstein professor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Louis J. Lanzerotti is a Distinguished Research Professor of Physics in the Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He will be presented the Arthur M. Bueche Award "for leadership in understanding the Earth's radiation environment and its effects on communications and space hardware, and for contributions to public policy on space-based research." The award recognizes an engineer who has shown dedication in science and technology as well as active involvement in determining U.S. science and technology policy, and includes a commemorative medal.

Lanzerotti's accomplishments in the fields of engineering and physics, as well as his extensive professional and public service, clearly demonstrate his dedication to science and technology. With a Ph.D. in physics from Harvard University, Lanzerotti joined AT&T Bell Labs in 1965 to engage in studies of Earth's radiation belts, just as the AT&T Telstar satellites had been launched. As issues arose around the effects of radiation on space hardware, Lanzerotti participated in the building, testing, and calibration of radiation instruments for first-generation geosynchronous telecommunications satellites. His work helped develop robust space-based communications and science systems, and contributed to many NASA space missions that have allowed us to expand our knowledge of the universe. Lanzerotti also worked extensively on geomagnetic field measurements at Siple, McMurdo, and South Pole stations in Antarctica, which have furthered our fundamental understanding of Earth's space environment, including hydromagnetic waves and particle precipitation processes in the Earth's magnetosphere and ionosphere. His work also led to the co-founding of the ongoing United States Automatic Geophysical Observatories network in Antarctica. Lanzerotti is a recipient of numerous awards, including the American Geophysical Union William Bowie medal, the United States Antarctic Service Medal, and Mount Lanzerotti was named in his honor. For more than four decades, he has been actively involved with key professional societies and committees including NASA, NAE, and the Vice President's Space Council Advisory Committee. Lanzerotti was nominated in 2004 by President George W. Bush to a six-year term on the National Science Board and chaired its Committee on Science and Engineering Indicators from 2006 to 2010.

The mission of the NAE is to advance the well-being of the nation by promoting a vibrant engineering profession and by marshaling the expertise and insights of eminent engineers to provide independent advice to the federal government on matters involving engineering and technology. The NAE is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, an independent, nonprofit organization chartered by Congress to provide objective analysis and advice to the nation on matters of science, technology, and health.

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